Hi, please do enjoy this story. It is completed on this part. Editing can be infuriating but I hope to draw strenght from here as I once used to. It's a long ride. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Here goes:

Chapter 1
Chapter 1

Simisola Owolabi stared at her chubby face in the toilet mirror and pinched herself to be sure she didn’t hallucinate the event that happened a few minutes back.
How was I there and back? She wondered.
The cold from within, sweat on her body, nose-raising feeling of soap, and her shaky breathes made her know she wasn’t dreaming. What happened to her was absolutely real.
From the corner of her eyes, she sighted a tiny fair hand trying to grab her shoulders. Hurriedly, she pulled out of reach and turned to face her date, Maxwell Omoleye, a slim, fair guy with an oblong head full of white hair that made people dubbed him Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian writer. Him buying into the idea and retaining the hairstyle nauseated her because it transformed him into a scarecrow, especially with his black glasses fashioned with thick industrial rims.
‘What happened there?’ Max’s voice quivered. The fear in his eyes as he stared at her that moment assured her of her own sanity.
His mountain flower body spray graced her nostrils and sparked a ravenous desire to release herself into his arms, which was her initial plan, careful about nothing, especially her virginity.
Simi shook her head frantically. ‘You don’t understand.
‘Help me understand!’ Max adjusted his glasses.
Simi wheezed and looked around, waiting for word. She couldn’t explain what happened. Fortunately, two ladies cackled as they pushed their way into the toilet.
Seeing them, the ladies stopped. A derisive grunt came from the darker of the ladies. Simi wished for her body, which despite being donned in the smallest adult t-shirt Simi had ever seen, still looked smaller in it.
Max turned from one side to another, confused.
Simi seized the opportunity, fled the scene, squeezed her fat body past the ladies into the restaurant's main part, grabbed her green Louise Vuitton’s handbag, and made for the door. Max was hot on her tail. She could feel him breathing down her neck.
Knowing that he valued temper control, she concentrated on getting out of exquisite Tori’s Kitchen, the classiest restaurant in Fortune City.
Max paid handsomely to get them a reservation, and now she was ruining the perfect Valentine day he had set for them. Now, all she needed was to be tucked away in her bed, buried under the enormous flowery blanket, listening to Adele, drowning in her wonder. There, she would pinpoint the root of this problem. Max, nineteen, was three years older than she but always looked like a child. Yet, his parents’ wealth always gave him the affluence he deserved.
Max longed for her shoulders again. ‘Simisola’.
‘Leave me be!’ Simi cried as she brushed his hands off.
At that point, the tears she had been holding back suddenly cracked out.
‘Bro!’ Someone called from afar.
Simi knew what was about to happen: another opportunity.
‘Talk to me… I know what I saw!’ Max said, pulled her hands and spun hers, making her stare into his ruddy face
‘You saw nothing. Simi steadied herself.
Max drew nearer. ‘You weren’t in that toilet. I called for you. Opened each cubicle. And there was no place you could have gone.
‘I’m hungry…’ Simi looked away and murmured. ‘And I can’t do this now.
Max turned towards the restaurant. ‘Food. See, food! Seat is… Help me understand what happened.
Truly, the aroma of different foods jostled for preference in her cravings. Her sudden desire to eat was unwarranted since she and Max feasted a while back.
‘Not now’, Simi pleaded.
‘You entered that toilet. And disappeared. Where did you go?’ Max’s voice amplified.
Her heart sank. Quickly, her eyes dashed sporadically from one part of the room to the other. Indeed, that statement caught people’s attention, and she could swear that she saw someone bringing out their phone to record.
Snatching her hand, Simi hurried away and was lucky to meet a bikeman waiting just outside. God sent, she thought.
‘Bro! You didn’t pay….’ Someone called again.
The bike rider, mid-twenty, had a bald that shone under the blazing sun like a stainless product, even as he brandished a big smile, unperturbed by the smug on Simi’s face.
‘Go!’ She said and mounted the bike.
‘Where?’ The bike man said. He had an American accent.
‘Just get going…’ Simi refused to look back.
‘Ma?’
‘Go! Get… Go…’
Max was torn between following her and answering the waiter bugging him for payment. Simi sighed.
‘I will call you!’ Max yelled after her.
That wasn’t her concern. Right now, she needed clarification.
Before the whole fiasco began, Simi pleaded with Max for a few seconds in the toilet to apply a little make-up on her face before they left for the movie that would start soon. He told her she was beautiful, but she could never trust the words of a man trying to woo her. Since she persisted, he saw her off to the toilet door to ensure she kept to her time.
There, Simi entered the toilet, powdered her face, and adjusted her jeans, blouse, neck chain, and hair. Then, she closed her eyes, wishing she was alone with Ekele, a boy she once loved, watching him sleep peacefully. Ekele always made her happy.
Immediately, the loud music became a distant moan, the toilet stench changed to the coarse smell of drugs and injections, and a rickety fan swirled above. Simi opened her eyes.
There, a young Ekele laid on the bed, with a water drip hanging by his side.
‘No way!’ She muttered as she stared into the sleepy face of the young boy on the bed. She remembered that day. Not that she was near him, but she knew the circumstance that brought him to that state since that was the same cloth Ekele wore the day he convulsed and was rushed to the hospital.
Simi glanced at everywhere in the room.
She remained transfixed for a long while, hoping that moment would be forever, that it wouldn’t be just a figment of her imagination. Taking her time, she looked him over.
I’m daydreaming, Simi thought.
After a while, she shook her head and closed her eyes, wishing she was out of that place. When she opened her eyes, she met herself in the toilet, at the same spot she first thought of Ekele, staring at herself in the mirror. Everything about her was still real. Even the birthmark with the shape of a dumbbell remained tattooed on the bridges of her nose.
Simi inhaled sharply as the bikeman steadied itself again. He looked competent.
If she could snap her fingers and let everything stop, she would. But for now, she would stay off-grid till she comprehended what was happening. Without any warning, her bikeman picked up his pace.
‘Okada man!’ Simi yelled.
‘Sorry, young lady!’ The bike man shouted and muttered some incoherent words.
Quickly, she leaned forward. ‘Don’t kill me… And where are we going? I told you to go Ireti Ayo Avenue’.
‘Sorry, lady. We’re being followed’, the rider shouted again. This time, his foreign accent pricked her curiosity.
Simi twisted to look backwards. True to the biker’s words, two black Toyota Camry tailed them. Despite the bleak view of the cars’ occupants, Simi couldn’t hold back the cold that sprinted down her spine.
‘I don’t know them o…’ She said.

Chapter 2
As if those words were some sort of activation code, the cars sped up to them. Her bike rider seemed prepared and increased his speed, making her heartbeats amplify.
‘What are you…? Ah!’ Simi grabbed his cloth for support.
The bikeman spun, holding a revolver as he yelled, ‘girl… Get down!’
She cowered behind his blue pullover, grabbing his trousers for support. At the same, a shot rang from his gun. Then, another one. Cars swerved and screeched behind. A ghastly bang followed. Simi squealed.
Her hairband sprung off, making her hair hang after them like a kite in the wind. Hurriedly, she sat straight. ‘Who are you? Who are you, people? What did I do?’
‘Duck!’ The bikeman yelled again.
Even if she wanted to be stubborn, the fitful shots of guns from behind compelled her to heed him. Someone once told her that if she could hear a gunshot, then she was still alive. Her howls were drowned in the seas of shrieks that came from different places.
Immediately, her bag fell off. She cried and reached out to grab it. ‘My bag…’
‘Not now!’
‘My bag!’
‘Hold me tight!’ The bike man said and swerved off the road.
In no time, he was speeding off through a bush path. Houses sunk out of view. The vast cloudy blueness of the sky and the jarring greenness of leaves were the only things on their trail. Simi could get her mind off the bag, which contained her wallet and her information.
I’m dreaming, Simi thought.
No meaningful sound came out of her mouth despite her several attempts to tell him to stop. Nonetheless, alongside the bike's revving, she could attest that she made different sounds that would beat animals'.
Their assailants were no longer in view.
‘Drop me! Drop me!’ Simi gripped her seat tightly with sweaty hands. ‘I will jump’.
‘You will die…’ The bike rider claimed.
‘Drop me!’ She yelled.
She braced herself, ready to make a jump for it.
‘Brace up!’ The bikeman brought the bike to a halt. Simi crashed into him, her fatness vibrating, splashing pain into her bone.
‘Ouch!’ Quickly, she grabbed his cloth to steady herself. ‘Kill me, you hear!’
‘Get down…Now. Now…’ The bikeman urged.
Accelerating cars crushed their ways towards them. Simi leapt off the bike and stood still, confused about the next phase of action.
‘Why are you standing? Run… Follow me!’ The bikeman scrambled through the bushes as if they would splash hot water on him. Simi froze.
The bikeman wheeled around, glared at her coldly, and dragged her into the belly of the bush. If she had a different opinion, it was instantly wiped off by their assailants' intensifying noises.
Leading her through several bush paths, the bikeman’s navigation skill unnerved her.
‘Who are those?’ Simi asked. ‘Who are you?’
‘Young lady… You’re in for a long time of trouble if they ever catch you. The accent that rolled off his lips awed her.
‘What did I do?’
The bike man was muttering something repeatedly as he glanced at her and urged her on with his hand. After what felt like forever, they popped out on another side of the bush. Near a river. A fair young lady with a sleek Afro was waiting in a speedboat. If Simi were a comb, she would spend the rest of her life in that shiny hair.
‘Hurry, Eyes man!’ The young lady.
‘Dezzy, get moving!’ The bike rider shouted at the lady on Afro.
No way, Simi thought.
Snatching her hand off the bikeman’s, Simi withdrew. Silence and cold air dancing around the river were the only witnesses to know that she was being picked by the bald bike rider and the soldier-like Dezzy. ‘No…Not going anywhere. Not with you. Not without knowing what’s happening?’
The bikeman raised his hands in frustration. ‘Okay! Okay! I get! See, I’m Kukoyi Jackson, and that’s Dezzy. That is Aigbodezzy Ilavari. We’re both powerful. You posted something on Nairaland…’
Simi spread her hands. ‘I’ve posted many things…’
‘Well, this particular one…In the general section. It’s about you thinking you’re mad these past few days and trying to understand why you kept seeing yourself at an event that happened before and then back to the future.
Dezzy nodded. She swallowed hard.
The bikeman explained, ‘those men… Are there to kidnap you for that information.
‘How do you know?’ Simi wondered and looked from one person to the other. ‘Why?’
‘Movement! Movement!’ Dezzy yelled. ‘C’mon…’
Simi glanced back into the bush that was suddenly becoming louder. Now, her odds were becoming slimmer.
‘Who’s shooting at you? Me or them?’ Kukoyi said and splashed his way into the speedboat.
Having no other option, Simi heeded them and climbed into the speedboat. The boat trembled under her weight, making Dezzy throw her an uncertain look. A short while later, when their speedboat was far from the riverbank, their assailants got to the river and shot desperately at them, to no avail.
Yet, they all took cover. Simi repeatedly prayed to everything in the world as Kukoyi’s smooth hand covered her head. Dezzy astounded Simi with her nifty manoeuvre of the speedboat. In no time, the riverbank became smaller than a needle hole and eventually evaporated.
She glanced at Kukoyi’s smiling face and couldn’t ascertain if they were genuine or ominous. If she had any question, she couldn’t ask there.
Shrouded in the hum of the boat, the swoosh of the river as they travelled through and her own hug because of the cold, Simi inhaled the menthol-like feeling of the river and allowed her mind to wander off to the many questions she needed answers to. The first being, why did her mum drop her as a baby outside an orphanage home?
‘Why did you?’ Simi said and stared into emptiness.
Afterwards, Simi brought out the only picture she had with her and stared at it. The people in the picture were a man, a woman, and herself. The man was none other than Mr Makinde, their matron. The woman was Miss Johnson, their nanny, at the orphanage home. She wished she didn’t run away from their haven, but she couldn’t live her life in their confines anymore.

Continuation till Tomorrow. Meanwhile, what do you feel?

Lol. . ."you posted something on Nairaland. . . ." interesting !

endsarrrs:
Lol. . ."you posted something on Nairaland. . . ." interesting !

I don't understand what you mean by this....

Divepen1:
I don't understand what you mean by this....

okay. I quoted a line in the story

Great start...

endsarrrs:
okay. I quoted a line in the story

Oh.. Oh...

Thanks...

Lakesc:
Great start...

Thanks... I'm sure you will like the continuation.

Chapter 3
By the time they got to a seashore, Simi couldn’t get another word out of her mouth. Pangs of hunger predated over her fat body, ripping off all her rationality, killing her softly, making her wish she could scoop some of the water in the river into her mouth.
‘I’m hungry’, she groaned.
She couldn’t tell them this before now because, throughout the over three-hour journey, she had fruitlessly tried to get answers from Kukoyi. But the wind and the revving engine kept overshadowing her voice, making Kukoyi gesture at his ears to indicate that her words were inaudible. Simi glanced back at the river and then at the forest.
‘Follow us! When we’re safe, I will tell you all you need to know’, Kukoyi said after he noticed the doubt in her eyes. She nodded.
In the forest, they made several turns than Simi could track, never resting for a few seconds. Trees of varied sizes canopied the environment, giving room for droplets of the ray of the sun, creating a theatre light effect, sparkling and bouncing off her skin intermittently. An empty dryness mixed with the freshness of the leaves made her want to be an animal.
If they weren’t in the forest to escape their pursuers, and the creepy rustles of dry leaves didn’t echo through the distant dark parts, Simi would have loved to make the wild her home.
‘This is the only path you must take… There are tripwires at various places’, Kukoyi explained. ‘Dezzy placed them at… I don’t know. Just follow this path!’
Finally, they arrived at a building that lacked only painting yet, looked like an anomaly in a place where only nature throve. The mowed green grass around the house had a puncture made by a lonely bamboo stick and the sad punching bag hanging from the top.
‘Welcome to the safe house we use’, Kukoyi said as he pushed the door open with his sweaty hand. ‘What’s your name, by the way?’
‘Simi. Simisola Owolabi…’ She replied. ‘And I’m hungry.
When Simi entered the house, her lips fell apart because of the simple arrangement. Two old black and blue sleeping nets on the neat floor vibrated to the breeze's tunes gliding through the two windows in the room. The only oddity was the little transparent bag beside the snacks at the other end of the room, giving the bare wall and tiled floor a different feel.
Simi’s swallowed voraciously at the sight of the snacks huddled together. Her eyes roved around them. Biscuits, sausage wraps, chocolate bars, and soft drinks were artfully arranged on the house's left end. What the house lacked in curtains, it got in the windows nets.
Dezzy, with a hunting knife poking out of her belt, clambered to the snacks, picked two wraps of gala sausage and a bottle of soft drink, and dumped them in Simi’s hands. Dezzy and Kukoyi climbed the black and blue sleeping nets, respectively.
‘Yours!’ Dezzy said and pointed at the third net still wrapped, new and inviting.
Simi’s curiosity must have been vivid because Kukoyi shrugged. ‘Yes! We kept that for you’.
Hunger took a toll on Simi that she instantly ate gluttonously, only pausing to drink, disregarding the quizzical look mutilating Dezzy’s face. Afterwards, Simi popped the net, set it opposite the two strangers’ nets, and sat, ready to ask questions.
‘Tell me what’s happening’, Simi said.
‘Yeah! You’re welcome’, Kukoyi said and yawned. ‘We didn’t mean to save your life.
‘What are you expecting?’ Simi frowned. ‘Thank you?’
‘You’re welcome. Kukoyi yawned again.
Simi rolled her eyes. ‘Tell me what’s happening?’
‘See, Simi...’ Kukoyi said. ‘Around 1270, a Yoruba god, Oranmiyan, had a vision that someone would try to outsmart the gods and fuse their powers for selfish gain. This secret was taught to only a secret group. And they, in turn, passed it down to different generations. One of these groups eventually felt the secret should be divided among the seven members of the cult. That way, one of them will handle each part of the information.
‘I don’t understand you, one bit!’ Simi yawned.
Kukoyi edged forward. ‘You will, Simi. Follow me. Oranmiyan collected certain gods' original powers and hid them at separate times for people to find!’
‘What do you mean by original power?’ Simi glanced at Dezzy, scratching her nose compulsively.
‘Oranmiyan created a replica of the power symbols of these gods and changed them. Take erm… Sango’s axe as an example.
Simi nodded.
‘Think Lambe mentioned Yemoja’s beads too!’ Dezzy added.
‘Yes…And Yemoja’s bead! Those…’
Simi raised her hands. ‘Wait. Wait! Who’s Lambe?’
‘When we get to that bridge, we will cross it!’ Kukoyi explained and paused. ‘So, Oranmiyan took these symbols. Sango’s axe. Yemoja’s beads and the rest. He took these original items and replaced them with ones that would work for these gods' lifetime but can’t be used by any other person.
‘Ha! Can you skip to the end already?’ Simi rolled her eyes and yawned.
‘You need this!’ Dezzy said as she gingerly picked the skin around her fingernails as if ants infested them.
Simi threw her a frustrated glance.
Kukoyi continued. ‘Oranmiyan made the initiates swear never to use the information for personal gain but must always be prepared for three people that have been assigned the duty of destroying these powerful items…’
‘How will they find these three people?’ Simi asked.
‘They will know!’ Kukoyi said. ‘They are all descendant of Oranmiyan. And they will bear the marks that only the initiates will understand. Oranmiyan made it in such a way that only a set of the treasure will be unlocked per century’.
Simi glowered. ‘That is every hundred years’.
‘Yes. So, Oranmiyan divided the powers into three and placed them on 21 artefacts. Three per generation’. Again, Kukoyi paused. ‘The chosen people couldn’t act on these because civilization came and the artefacts were stolen, among the many sculptures stolen in Nigeria’.
‘I don’t…get. How’s that my concern?’ Simi wondered aloud.
‘It’s your concern. It’s definitely your concern because that must have been how your power became activated. I touched mine in America, and I sensed immediately that I had to come to Nigeria’.
Dezzy’s drowsy eyes called Simi’s attention for the first time.
This time, Simi looked her over, surprised that she didn’t notice the tribal marks hanging from both sides of Dezzy’s face, as well as on her chin, with all three looking like lines on a robot. A tattoo stood out on Dezzy’s right cheek, just adjacent to the birthmark on her neck, all giving off the perfect shape of an android face.
Seeing the birthmark made Simi glance at Kukoyi. His own birthmark was conspicuously crawling into view from the back of his neck.
Dezzy saw the movement of her eyes and swallowed. ‘Yes. We all have those scars…’
Kukoyi glanced at them quizzically. ‘The powerful people are three. But the major one is the ability to visit the past… and future- You’.
The implication of his words dawned on her. ‘But I don’t know how to do it. I don’t know how to visit the future or the past. I don’t even have the power!’
‘Do you even know how you got this power?’ Kukoyi said. ‘That will help us know what to do here!’
‘I don’t…’
‘Visited any artefacts of late or something?’ Dezzy rolled her eyes.
Simi shrugged and rolled her eyes in return. ‘I don’t know. Two days ago, I visited that new museum in Black Town, Fortune City’.
‘What’s Fortune City?’ Kukoyi asked.
‘This private Island’, Dezzy said. ‘Been in the news for some weird events’.
‘Oh!’ Kukoyi blinked. ‘So, this place is a private Island. Nigeria’s becoming better.
Simi continued. ‘Max said he wanted to do valentine week or something like that for me’.
Kukoyi tilted his head sideways. ‘Well, we got the other two power. As I told you, I got mine in the States. She got hers…Um…’
‘Onikan Stadium’, Dezzy said.
‘Onikan stadium, yes. I got the ability to seek things out…I know where I can find different things but can’t see these treasures unless you take us there. And Dezzy…’ Kukoyi and opened his palms, confused. ‘There… I don’t know how to explain it.
Dezzy sat up. ‘Can weaken people, build tunnels, escape. I’m always eager to fight…’
Kukoyi nodded. ‘Yeah! She’s more like a perfect warrior’.
Simi stared at them as if they were speaking an alien language.
‘Don’t worry. It will take you a while to understand but let’s keep you safe’, Kukoyi said and yawned.
‘Why do they…those people that were shooting… Why do they want me?’ Simi asked.
Dezzy said. ‘Power, fatty. You have the power!’
Simi shook her head. With her eyes darting about rapidly, Dezzy went about inspecting the different parts of the safe house. She stopped at the centre of the room and traced her hands around the edge of a circle that Simi was seeing for the first time.
‘Why now?’ Simi asked.
‘Because you posted it online. Just like them, we’ve been searching for you, because they can use one of us to trace the others’.
‘How?’
‘Energy trails… Their physicist can trace the lines of our energies. Every day, I also search for you with my power. I discovered you this morning.’.
Simi swallowed hard as she inhaled shaky breaths in the realization of what was happening to her. ‘That… Does that mean we’re together?’
‘Biggy, we’ve got to stick together now. Live in the shadows…’ Dezzy said.
‘But…My family?’ Simi looked about, trying hard to hide her truth. Quickly, she brought out the picture and pointed it at them. ‘I need to contact them!’
‘Simi, you’re a ghost now….’ Kukoyi said. ‘At least, for now! You can’t reach out.
Simi climbed out of her net, opened her mouth to argue, and kept quiet. Her curiosity still nagged at her. ‘And why did they need us? I mean those men!’
‘Oranmiyan placed the treasures at various times. Future, past, and present. We were supposed to be the last set…’ Kukoyi replied.
Simi’s eyes shone. ‘That means we can know where everything is’.
‘Fast learner’, Dezzy said with a smirk.
‘So, we have to remain hidden’, Kukoyi said.
‘And the Lambe you mentioned the other time!’ Simi said.
Kukoyi glanced sideways. ‘He’s…’
‘Supposed to die’, Dezzy hissed.
‘He is a descendant of the original secret groups, and he knows a lot, Kukoyi said. ‘But trust me, Simi, you don’t want to have him around. He wants something else.
‘What’s that?’
‘He wants us to find the powers…’ Kukoyi said. ‘He thinks we can save the world or stop those people that are trying to use our power to get the hidden powers’.
‘Who has time for that?’ Dezzy said.
‘Then, what are we doing?’ Simi asked. ‘Are we not like supposed to make sure the evil they are talking about… does not happen. We can make sure the person that wants to steal this power doesn’t do that again!’
‘Which power? Which world or Nigeria?’. Kukoyi’s voice pitched higher this time. ‘Have you not lived here all your life? Do you think saving the powers of the gods is worth anything to us? We’ll be heroes, and then what? Die… Like nobody. Die’.
‘It’s better than nothing o’, Simi said and glanced at them. ‘We got our power for a reason.
‘Not this. Going with Eagle’s plan here’, Dezzy said and crossed her arms. ‘Let’s make money and be gone.
Simi let the details sink in as she stared into their eyes.

This is becoming more interesting... Fire on Sir!

Lakesc:
This is becoming more interesting... Fire on Sir!

Thanks boss...

got to know about this beautiful work this night, too bad you haven't updated in a while hope you're ok. looking forward to seeing an update soon.

germaphobe:
got to know about this beautiful work this night, too bad you haven't updated in a while hope you're ok. looking forward to seeing an update soon.

Thanks I'm editing on the go. It requires more sacrifice that writing the stuff.
I'll surely post something today.

Chapter 4
Simisola felt uneasy sitting in the same spot. Opposite her were Aigbodezzy and Kukoyi, crouched and standing respectively, waiting for her to disappear. Every day of the past two weeks, twice per day, they’ve set Simi in this same position, trying unsuccessfully to make her disappear, their eyes trained on her with the same efficacy of a sniper.
‘You sure she’s the one?’ Dezzy grumbled.
Simi opened her eyes. ‘Ah! Ah! Maybe you’re right.
‘I don’t believe that, Dez’, Kukoyi said.
‘This is an uphill task, not easy’, Simi said and sighed.
Kukoyi chewed his nails as he glanced at Dezzy and back at Simi. ‘Or she’s not trying enough?’
‘I’m trying’, Simi replied, still rattled. ‘Why did you think I remain seated like a fool?’
As she sat there, she wanted to avoid the fight that had happened between them over their choices of the use of the gold. While Simi felt they should support Lambe and the initiates, the duo prefered to work in secret just for their money. She only stayed back to destroy the items on her own, which they didn’t oppose.
Simi inhaled the beautiful sharp scent of grass that accompanied the breeze that filled the room.
At the moment, there was an edge of frustration in Kukoyi’s voice as he replied. ‘I think your mind is somewhere else, at home. I have family, too’.
Simi was perplexed. ‘That’s nonsense…’ She exclaimed, genuinely frustrated. ‘Why then did I remain here? Why haven’t I gone away?’
‘Simi, you’re just one conflicted… Your mind is here and not here at the same time, probably looking for a way to run away, and that’s why your mind is not focused. You’ll have to keep it together. Time’s running out’, Kukoyi urged and pulled his trousers up.
Simi gritted as she placed her hands on her forehead. ‘Ah! I’m trying. You don’t know how hard it is. But you won’t understand because you’ve been here training for months before you found me… Am I lying?’
‘Of course, you lie. I could use my power in a week, darling’, Dezzy said, making her net squeak.
‘A week?’ Simi repeated, surprised.
‘That’s right. A week. Imagine that. Like butter in the frying pan’, Dezzy said as she chewed her lips.
Simi’s frustration at their lack of understanding was dashed. ‘You mean I…You look serious. I don’t know what’s wrong.
Kukoyi placed his iPad on the ground as he came nearer. Simi remembered the arguments they had for days on why she shouldn’t have access to one iPad. Dezzy supported Kukoyi’s refusal by claiming she never got access to one too until the third month. None of them could contact anyone they knew.
Kukoyi rose, moved towards Simi’s bed, where she was seated, and stopped a few inches away. ‘You’re probably not going about this the right way. How did the last ones happen?’
‘I don’t…’ Words dried up in Simi’s throat. How could she describe what happened that day to them? ‘I noticed that Max wanted to ask me to be his girlfriend. He has done several things to prepare me for that. So, when I got to the toilet, I thought of him… Ekele. The first boy I liked. I was thinking of him… We never got to say goodbye. I…’
Kukoyi clapped. ‘That’s it, then. Maybe you should channel your fear into this new reality, but we need it soon. Can you remember what time you were taken to?’.
Simi wanted to scream at them, run from the room, and never remember that incident at the toilet. Why was that time blurry?
‘I will give it a try, she sighed. ‘It’s a painful time’.
‘The last time you saw him is fine. You might not remember what you saw then, but you must be aware this time’, Kukoyi’s voice was becoming dangerously levelled. ‘We can’t sit here like we’ve been doing for years before your arrival. I’ve lost a hell lot of things and wouldn’t want to lose more.
She closed her eyes. ‘I hope it’s not horrible’.
Focusing was hard. The birds chirping and the emptiness of the forest made it hard to concentrate on Ekele’s face. But to prove her worth, she focused on the fragment of his image that clouded her memory. Then, her mind dashed to Oranmiyan and his lover that had power. Suddenly, rustles of leaves became different, nearer. Chirps of birds and hoots of owls were now mixed with sneaky feet crushing dry leaves.
‘That way!’ A lady order rapidly.
Simi opened her eyes, amazed at the change of scenery. Her heartbeats burst through her nose like fiery darts. Every hair in her body rose just as her head expanded and contracted ten thousand times in one second.
‘We must do this now! We must get back home before anybody stops us…’ A man said.
‘Hold on, the first woman hushed. ‘I hear something…’
This time, Simi realized where she was. Her legs were hanging from the thick trunk of a tree, even as ants crawled by her arm. With the dawn, stars, and fading moon still blanketing the sky, the leaves below shone with the same vigour as the dews highlighting them.
‘I don’t think it’s anything…’ The woman leading them said.
‘Are you sure the leaders will be pleased with this, Moremi?’ Someone else asked. The woman leading them turned. Simi swallowed hard as she beheld the beauty of the woman, whose story had been repeatedly narrated in different ways.
‘Let’s go…’ Moremi called.
Simi’s mouth widened in adoration. For the first time, she was seeing the face of the legend, whose name was written on several things- books, monuments, halls, and places. Even if she didn’t know her whole story, she read that she sacrificed herself to know the secret of those that came to carry her. Her beauty overshadowed all other women there, maybe because of the way she was dressed.
‘Let’s go, Isimo’, Moremi said. ‘We’ve to be out of here before the next cockcrow…When we get home to Oranmiyan, we will prepare for these bushmen’.
Holding firmly to the tree, Simi deduced that Moremi had just escaped from the warriors with the raffia, which could mean they would soon pass through that place.
Quickly, she closed her eyes because her body suddenly challenged her heart to a vibrating competition. It was better to run from mere men with guns than warriors. The angry face of Dezzy came to her mind, and she remembered how she couldn’t get herself to disappear.
‘She’s back!’ Dezzy called.
‘You weren’t out for that long’, Kukoyi said as he hurried back. ‘Three minutes and twenty-four seconds.
‘I feel so hungry…’ Simi said.
‘Snacks’, Dezzy said.
Kukoyi hurried, snatched two wraps of sausage, and returned with them, urgency in his eyes. ‘Did you return to that time again?’
‘No’, Simi answered as she snatched the sausage and burst the wrapper of the first one she grabbed. The hunger was such she had never experienced before. ‘I got to a tree... And I saw Moremi, running off’.
‘Oh! Sit down, Simi’, Kukoyi said. ‘Then, you tell us everything you remember.

Wow! Lovely update Op...

Lakesc:
Wow! Lovely update Op...

Thanks...

Chapter 5
Munching as if the sausage rolls were on fire, Simi narrated how she’d met herself in a tree to find Moremi. They listened with rapt attention. Dezzy was clearly angry that she wasn’t coherent enough, but Kukoyi pacified her telling her what Simi said.
‘How did you return to us?’ Kukoyi asked, who was typing into his tab.
Simi swallowed hard. ‘I... Maybe when I remembered Moremi story that the Igbo soldiers would soon get where I was, and… Dezzy’s… that I preferred this place than to face those hefty soldiers’.
Dezzy reached for her iPad.
‘I think we’re getting somewhere, Kukoyi said. ‘But that must be a dark time. I mean there wouldn’t be any form of civilization those time’.
‘I think so…’ Dezzy said and typed sporadically into her phone. ‘From Wiki, Moremi was born in 1200AD. Long-distance from our first sight of civilization. Erm…Oranyan’s wife. Another site said she was Oranyan’s wife’.
Kukoyi got up and paced the room. He turned swiftly towards Simi. ‘Maybe, Simi… And just maybe, Oranmiyan has something in hiding for you there?’ Kukoyi suggested. ‘Like a clue’.
‘A clue? There?’ Simi shook her head.
‘We don’t know the history, even those that feel they know believe it started as a rumor. The initiates are tightfisted about the information. Kukoyi paused. ‘This information spread down to different periods with more details than anyone can verify. Even Lambe that seems to know about all these things, said he couldn't remember many things. That’s why he drinks a lot, Dezzy said.
‘Are you sure?’ Kukoyi threw a cold glance at her.
‘I think so’.
Simi made a ‘tsk’ sound. ‘What are you saying now?’
‘What…?’ Kukoyi stared at her and paused for a while. ‘Of course, I’m saying there’s something. Like. Like. Like. Like a clue. Something to hold on to’.
‘Sure, she should go again’, Dezzy cut in and rose from her net. ‘You need to train your skills now’.
‘I should return to search for information. I can do that’, Simi replied. Immediately, the image of the Igbos in raffia popped into her head. She shook her head. ‘I can definitely not do that.
‘Let’s just get this over with’, Dezzy said.
‘But you…’ Simi stared into her eyes. Her cold feet weren’t a result of her fear. It was probably because she didn’t know the world she just escaped. ‘I will need something to defend myself with in case of anything’.
‘Sounds perfect’, Dezzy replied and pulled a knife from her boot. Kukoyi stared at her with wide eyes. Dezzy rolled her eyes, met Simi halfway, and slapped the knife’s handle into Simi’s palm. It was wrapped with black rubbers.
‘Let’s do this again’, Simi agreed.
Dezzy placed her hands on Simi’s knee. ‘You can do this. Need to monitor time. Kukoyi, do the same.
Kukoyi nodded as Simi closed her eyes, got ready to disappear, and wished to be with Moremi.
‘She came back thirty-two minutes ago…’ Dezzy said. ‘Let’s see how long you will be gone this time?’
A big fear clouded Simi’s mind as she got ready for the next thing to happen. Something swiped past her face, making her open her eyes. Like before, she was in a tree.
Clinging to it as if her life depended on it, she looked around and saw an archer shooting sporadically in different directions. Ready to shoot again, he saw Simi, frowned, and aimed at her.
Simi yelled. Without a second thought, she tumbled off the tree. The grass cushioned her fall.
‘Where am I?’ She murmured.
People ran in different directions, yelling, with weapons raised and sweat covering their bodies. She didn’t need anyone to tell her what that meant. Wet dry leaves with their stinky smell covered her, but all her clothes were dirty from this already.
‘Kill them!’ A young man shouted. His regal look made her wish she were born at that period because the man would have been fun to talk to, stare at, or listen to him.
Their yells of instructions were in Yoruba language, with some words she had never heard from anyone.
‘All of you… Go…’ The young man said.
‘Yes, my king’, a warrior said.
His glinting black body, marked at different points with charcoal and mud, made him wild. A thread of charms dangled around his waist. Even his arms were laced with the skins of a snake.
Simi remained rooted in her position. It felt like the only place she could stay without fear. When she should be looking for clues, she was hiding in the bush.
The moment everyone was gone, the young man looked about and buried a knife into the ground. Like a machine, his hand furiously dug through the ground.
‘King Oranmiyan’, a female voice called from afar.
‘Queen’, the young king, Oranmiyan, replied. With his face lit with excitement, he turned towards the voice. At that point, Moremi came into view, panting and expectant. If Simi thought Moremi was beautiful, she had not seen her in her war clothes, which pronounced her natural beauty.
‘What became of the knife?’ Moremi asked.
‘I hurriedly sent it to the future… For the last set of people…’ Oranmiyan said.
‘We need it here?’ Moremi said with pleading eyes.
Oranmiyan shook his head, lightly touched her cheek, and smiled. ‘We’ve won. You helped us, and nobody can ever forget that. The world will remember that. What we have left here is us taking care of the rest of their lives. My dreams are more than real’.
‘I really don’t know’, Moremi glanced about and stared at him. ‘Are you even sure they will see this knife?’
‘This knife is Oduduwa’s… This is the one I changed for him. I want the last ones to have this. That’s why I let the power remain on it…’
At the same time, sprinting feet became louder.
‘My lord’, the leader of the warriors shouted and came into view. ‘We got another one. He’s ready to talk for his life’.
‘Let’s go!’ Oranmiyan said and urged the Moremi and the leader to move ahead as he trailed behind them. When he got to the edge of the pathway filled with thick weeds, he glanced back at the place he planted the knife, then at Simi’s hideout, and then smiled and ran off.
Simi gasped. She wanted to race after them but remembered why she was sent back there. After ensuring she was alone, she crawled over to the spot and dug as fast as possible. The knife laid there. It was a replica of Dezzy’s knife. Simi grabbed it and used her other hands to dust her ripped jeans trousers.
Dezzy would be surprised by this, Simi thought and closed her eyes, hoping she got it right again.
‘She’s back again’, Dezzy shouted. ‘Oh! God! And dirty…’
Simi was astounded. ‘Oh! I’m never going in alone…’

wow!!, i'm loving this. can't wait to see what powers the other two possess

germaphobe:
wow!!, i'm loving this. can't wait to see what powers the other two possess

Glad to see you love it. Well, their power will be revealed soon.

Thanks for the update...

Lakesc:
Thanks for the update...

You're welcome. Thanks for dropping a comment.

Chapter 6
‘And I’m famished'. Simi dashed out of the chair as she dusted the dirt off her body again.
‘What did you see? Dezzy asked. Her frown popped out of every vein in her face.
‘Snacks!’ Simi rushed towards the snacks and grabbed the nearest, a wrap of Kuli-kuli, bought to supplement their garri, but she didn’t mind. Munching it, she turned and saw the look of disgust on Dezzy’s face. ‘What? You don’t understand how hungry I am…’
‘You just…’ Dezzy turned to Kukoyi for support, but he only shrugged, making Dezzy open her mouth in disgust. ‘She literarily just ate something a while back…’
Simi munched ravenously. ‘I don’t know. I think the longer I stay there, the hungrier I become…’
They looked at Simi, who shook her head while looking upward. All these she was forcing herself into shouldn’t have even been there in the first place. If she hadn’t followed Max to that museum, she would be free.
‘See how huge she has become since she got here. Dezzy smacked her own head and looked about, breathing heavily. ‘I just got to restock her the food and bought those stupid shorts for her’.
‘Please, those shorts are the best. And… Ah! I was never thin. Not everyone will like to be as tiny as you…’ Simi sat back in the chair, feeling energized to narrate her ordeal finally.
‘Baby girl, it’s all about exercise…’ Dezzy shouted, jumped, and spread her legs sideways to touch her spread hands. ‘See...I can do this…’
‘And who is to say I can’t’, Simi bellowed. Her desire to eat increased. Rolling her eyes, she returned to the snacks corner and got more wraps of sausages, sifting through them until she got a better brand than the last one she ate.
‘Yeah! Eat it. Family of rhinoceros’, Dezzy leaned against the wall.
‘Enough’, Kukoyi yelled. His eyes dashed from one person to the other. Dezzy’s eyes were now turning red even as she clenched her hands. Despite the little anger creeping into her mind towards Dezzy, Simi couldn’t overcome her admiration for the afro on Dezzy’s head.
Kukoyi, however, got into her view as he crouched opposite her. She could smell his the grass-like scent from his body spray. ‘Now, tell us what happened?’
Simi explained, taking her time to describe the things she saw.
‘See her!’ Dezzy lamented and partially covered her face. ‘We’ve just wasted a good time here… Thanks for nothing’.
‘Chillax, Simi’, Kukoyi called and beckoned for her to come nearer. Simi sighed and hobbled towards them. Dezzy’s disregard for her wasn’t even right, but what could she say? ‘You have to express something for us…’ Kukoyi paused. ‘The mission is not to admire Oranmiyan. God knows I want to see them too...’
‘Get to the point!’ Dezzy urged him.
‘The point is that…’ Kukoyi brought his Ipad and began to type out. ‘We need you to find a clue or something that will help us find this prophecy. So, we will be done and sell them away’.
Simi’s eyes were focused on Kukoyi’s hand as he rubbed his nose and typed with the other one. ‘I just want to be done and gone. I hope this never happened.
‘Too late!’ Dezzy said.
Kukoyi banged the wall. ‘Hey! Hey! Dezzy, you guys don’t’ need to be split hairs before you make the right suggestion. As I am pencilling the details in, we will make it work’.
‘Fishing expenditure’, Dezzy lamented. She rubbed her hair and sat up. ‘This is a fishing expenditure. We should have allowed Lambe lead the way’.
‘Lambe was leading us in the wrongest of all directions’. Kukoyi typed as he leaned against the wall.
Dezzy sighed and slumped back into her net. ‘They’re all the same: useless! I should have killed him.
Simi’s body felt like it was being sparked by electricity and that she was being shocked from her hair to the sole of her foot. She wasn’t sure she wanted them to know that she was feeling that way. So, she munched the last bit of the sausage and moved towards them. ‘I’m tired and need to sleep’.
‘You…’ Dezzy was going to say to her but turned towards Kukoyi. ‘She did nothing. Like nothing than disappear, eat, and now she wants to sleep’.
Simi didn’t heed her but instead laid in the net and began to countdown from 100. It was like several hours later before a bird roused her. Turning away from the ray of sun that still found its way into the house, despite someone’s effort to cover the window with clothes.
‘Yeah! That’s crested guineafowl’, Kukoyi said as she groaned.
Simi yawned and stretched as she looked about for Dezzy, who was fiddling with her knives. ‘I’m going back in.
‘You’re stating the obvious. I’m mapping out a plan’ Kukoyi turned towards them. He rubbed his bald. His head shone despite the tiny light coming to their hideout. ‘Someone’s has got to go with you through this storm’.
‘Good idea’, Dezzy cracked her fingers.
‘Are you sure?’ Simi’s heart raced. ‘I’m not yet good with this travelling thing’.
‘There’s nothing to worry about!’ Dezzy got up and moved towards her clothes. ‘All you need is food, and we can afford that.
Simi made a ‘tsk’ noise and rolled her eyes.
‘Oh! C’mon! Don’t go down that lane again. Kukoyi scrolled through his phone, glancing up and down at various times. ‘We need a leg to stand on as we get these things that have been promised us’.
‘Are you even sure we’re doing the right thing?’ Simi slumped into a seat.
‘What do you mean?’ Kukoyi wondered.
‘I mean… We’re only doing this because you heard about the rumour’. Simi drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Kukoyi stopped typing as he looked up. ‘We’re not acting on a whim. The information is out. We just need the unadulterated version of the prophecy. That’s the only way we can easily get the result we want. This thing has its life on its own.
Simi couldn’t easily think of Kukoyi’s words. Sometimes, she wanted to ask him for the meaning of what he was saying, but she always understood them through the context of his conversation. Moreover, he always had another set of words before she could ask him for the meaning of the first.
‘All in all, if we need to burn the midnight oil to get the answer we seek, I’m all in’, Kukoyi stated. He moved towards Simi’s net and sat on the ground near. Then, he placed a hand on her back. Seeing him there felt like she was sitting beside Ekele, whom she wished she met eventually. ‘Simi, give this your best. I know these are baby steps, but we can do it. We’re getting there!’
‘I’ll try.
By now, Dezzy had dressed herself in tight shiny leather trousers and boots. Her tight jacket cleaved to her body as if they were a little extension of her skin. The few seconds Simi watched her, she couldn’t be amazed by the speed with which she placed different sizes of knives at different places. Even at that, she still had some of the knives glaring on her bed.
‘Where did you get this?’ Simi moved near her and caressed the remaining weapons on the table. Some others were peeping from a black bag.
‘I think you’ll keep this in mind whenever you see her elsewhere! Kukoyi pulled out a large sheet of paper from his little bag and began to point different things on it. Simi left Dezzy’s side and moved to watch what Kukoyi was doing. ‘Dezzy used to be a dominatrix’.
‘Domi…?’ Simi turned from one person to another.
‘Dominatrix’, Kukoyi said. ‘She likes to flog or punish men to feel excited…’
‘Is she insane or….?’ Simi covered her mouth. ’Sorry… I mean, why will you do that?’
Dezzy’s eyes were now fixed on Simi, despite her hands hurrying through some straps in her body. A black baton laid on the side of the bed.
‘Hey, Dezzy’. Kukoyi looked up from the map he was drawing. ‘No hard feelings… I guess?’ He turned to Simi, who nodded like a baby. She didn’t know how that word had come out of her mouth.
Simi sighed. ‘I’m not even concerned. I just want to be done and free’.
‘That we can make happen…’ Kukoyi said.
Dezzy walked over to Simi. Her presence sent fear down the chubby girl’s mind. They were in all ways different from each other. Dezzy’s slim body and a touch of curves were made pronounced by her leather war cloth. Simi, on the other hand, looked like watermelon in a bag. She couldn’t even understand when she got that fat.
Now, she was staring into the flat tummy of a warrior-like lady and wished they could trade place.
‘Are you ready?’ Dezzy asked.
‘No’, Simi said and stretched. ‘I need to change this filthy dress to something presentable’.
‘Rhino, it’s not a fashion contest, and no one is looking at your fashion’, Dezzy shouted, but Simi didn’t heed her. Instead, she grabbed the bag they bought for her and pulled out a red top, jeans shorts, her black sneakers, and sunshades. When she was done, Kukoyi shook his head.
‘Are we ready now?’ Dezzy asked as she stopped pacing the room.
Simi exhaled sharply and nodded. ‘By the way, you just had to buy shorts that and dropping. I would have wanted something shorter.
‘Your goodies? Dezzy said. ‘You would be carrying this with you regularly now’.
‘Where will I put the clothes?’ Simi wondered.
‘Remove those rags you made me buy and put enough goodies’, Dezzy said.
‘I’m fine… Let’s go. I feel great’, Simi replied as she stared at herself again.
‘Errr… No’, Dezzy said. ‘Get the thing before I descend on you.
‘Mummy, calm down!’ Simi carried her bag and dropped all the content on the bed. That’s when she saw her blackhead warmer. ‘Cool’.
‘God!’ Kukoyi exclaimed.
Simi hurried back to the snacks and put enough in her bag.
‘Good! Now, let’s go…’
‘I’ll be waiting for you two’, Kukoyi said. ‘And mapping how we will do all these things. I don’t know, but I think we might have to move frequently and when that happens we must be ready.
‘Off we go!’ Simi said and held Dezzy. ‘I don’t know if this will work’.
She wasn’t even sure it would work. All that was on her mind was that she shouldn’t take them to the wrong place. It would be a waste of time, and she wanted to be done with this thing. The money and tiredness were enough for her. Moreover, she wasn’t even sure Dezzy would follow her if she disappeared. But one truth remained, as long she came with the warrior, she was assured of her own safety.
‘Is this part of what you saw the last time?’ Dezzy asked.
Simi opened her eyes as cold air danced through rustling leaves. They were surrounded by forest and were on a mountain.

Lakesc:
Thanks for the update...

germaphobe:
got to know about this beautiful work this night, too bad you haven't updated in a while hope you're ok. looking forward to seeing an update soon.

So, I'm done with this novel but will be moving it to Diary Section because I entered it in a competition and won't want it to be flagged when they decide to see if I have posted it elsewhere.

There, if I will edit this and continue.
Thanks a lot.

[b]Chapter 7
[/b]Simi shook her head. ‘Where are we?’
Dezzy was visibly shaking with anger. Spinning from side to side, she was yelling, ‘What’s this?’
Voices of people singing alongside their bell came from the farther end of the mountain. At the far end of the mountain, she could see a woman deflating the tires of another car on the road.
Simi was also bemused as she wondered why they were there. ‘I’m… I don’t know…’
‘Eh, Rhino! Get us out of here!’ Dezzy ordered.
Simi blinked repeatedly. Her flushed face was more out of frustration than in fear that was already building up in her mind about the cause of this. I’m losing it, Simi thought.
She swallowed hard as the woman got into a car and drove off while another man climbed out of the forest. Simi sighed. ‘You’ll have to give me a minute…’
Stretching her hand to Dezzy, she sighed and closed her eyes. Hunger like before trickled in, becoming the only thing her mind could focus on. At that instance, worms scampered in different directions in her stomach., causing a rumble.
‘Still here?’ Dezzy murmured.
‘I don’t know what’s happening? The only thing I can think of is food and… food…’. She fished her bag of snacks and began to munch because she could feel that spark of electricity again. This aggravated Dezzy.
‘Didn’t you just eat a while back?’ Dezzy clenched her fingers.
‘I don’t know o. Ah!’ Simi threw Dezzy a cold glance. If Dezzy was a regular lady, Simi would have rammed her into the sand, sat on her, and feasted her mouth with the fine sand without a second thought. ‘It didn’t happen before.
‘In war, how will you run?’ Dezzy was angry.
‘Oh! Spare me,’ Simi snapped, grabbing Dezzy’s hand.
Without giving it a second thought, she imagined the time she saw Oranmiyan and wished she could see him and the clue.
‘Stay sharp!’ Dezzy murmured as she tugged at Simi.
Simi didn’t need to open her eyes before she knew they were in the midst of chaos. Upon opening her eyes, she was mesmerized by what she saw. This wasn’t any chaos. It was a full-blown war.
With warriors chanting and howling as they approached one another, blood and sweat became food for the sands. Their heavy feet and bodies dropped with precision on the ground. Clashes of cutlasses, grunts of people throwing spear, and heavy thuds of batons became the war music. The dampness of the sand mixed with the gore scents blew past Simi’s nose even as they remained crouched.
‘Eat! Eat!’ Dezzy rolled her finger at Simi’s bag as she rolled her shoulders. If the war in front of her didn’t take Simi, she could have sworn she saw a glint of happiness in Dezzy’s eyes.
Crouched in their corner, Simi wondered how she always managed to bring them to a place they couldn’t be seen easily. Without giving it another thought, she searched for a wrap of sausage, tore off the wrap, and began to eat ferociously. She needed all the energy she could find.
‘I thought we were supposed to go back to the time you were here last!’ Dezzy’s hushed voice spat out her frustration.
Simi whispered back, ‘I thought so too.’
‘You need to learn to hold this thing together. We might one day fall into a river full of crocodile…’ Dezzy responded.
‘I hope so, and I could be able to disappear …’
‘Take my word!’ Dezzy turned to look at her. ‘You don’t have many weapons. Your food should serve as your weapon!’
Simi looked at her in confusion.
‘I’m saying’, Dezzy said as she leaned in towards her. ‘Always be prepared like the boys scout’.
‘I still don’t get!’
‘Are you dunce? Saying get your food ready before we disappear…’ She paused and moved her baton up in preparation because someone was peering into the little shrub they were hiding behind. Simi held her breath.
‘I think I’m getting you’, Simi said when they were safe.
‘Cut the snacks open and eat as soon as we get here! Need you prepared. Always. Like a gallant warrior’, Dezzy rambled.
‘I’m no warrior’, Simi grunted. ‘I’m just an innocent girl that was plucked into this rubbish. We’re simply wasting our time…’
Dezzy placed a hand on Simi’s shoulder and leaned towards her. ‘Shh… Rhino.’.
This time, two warriors came towards them, making Simi’s heart act erratically. She began to shake as her eyes opened and closed repeatedly.
‘Don’t you dare disappear without me… When we haven’t gotten anything’, Dezzy whispered.
Simi nodded as she felt her body vibrating. The men looked terrifying and more heavily built than Dezzy, with their weapons gleaming under the angry sun, which was also bouncing off their well-toned scarred muscles and chest. Despite the fury in Dezzy’s eyes, Simi knew her slim body couldn’t possibly ward off these men. I die for foolish wealth, Simi cried. Everything felt like MMM all of a sudden.
After she ran away from home, this was one of the things she was exposed to. When the scheme came out, she was one of the few that tapped into it. She made a lot of money from it and furnished her home with it. From there, she jumped on Paradise payment, Twinks, and a bunch of others. Things turned, however, when she had even gathered enough for school before she was advised to go for Loom, which sounded like fun. In all honesty, she made her first cash out from it. Then, she tried it again and again with more significant money until their website crashed, and she never got her money back. Simultaneously, Sergei Mavrodi, the owner of MMM, died, killing the scheme and her money.
‘Can you even fight?’ Simi whimpered. Despite seeing her practice several times, she had never seen her in a real fight. All her practices could have been a ruse.
Dezzy clenched Simi’s shoulder, ‘Stay down and watch…’
In a few seconds, Dezzy sprung out of their position and hit the first man across the face. The force of her blow was so much and swift that the man fell down instantly.
Seeing this, the second warrior dashed at her, with his weapon raised high and his yell filling the surrounding, but Dezzy didn’t slack a second. She went for his leg, falling him. He grunted like his mate just as he hit the floor. Before they could think of getting back up, Dezzy was on them, weakening their joints, jaws, and belly with her resounding punches.
Their grunt and moan came in shorter paces now.
‘Out! Out!’ Dezzy yelled. ‘We’ve got to look for Oranyan’.
The two ladies ran towards the heart of the war. Dezzy ran with an instinct that made them miss most of the warriors. However, when they got to a part of the forest and parted the leaves, they could see the warriors fighting with all their might. The roars and yells were fiercer than what Simi had ever witnessed.
Horses’ hoofs sped about in large numbers, and Simi understood at once that she needed to eat more. If her strength failed her here, they were dead.
‘That’s Oranmiyan…’ Simi pointed him out to Dezzy.
Dezzy stared at him in wonder. Unlike the last time, he was wearing the thick skins of dead animals and had several charms around his body. His eyes were laced with black shadows; even several ados hung on his body. He was yelling a chant as he was twirling a rope.
‘Withdraw!’ Someone yelled from Oranmiyan’s side of the war.
In quick successions, Oranmiyan’s army began to run towards another part of the forest with vigour as if their life depended on it.
‘What are you doing? Fight! Stop running!’ Dezzy grunted between clenched teeth.
At that instance, balls of fire began to shoot from Oranyan’s rope. They went into the enemies’ side of the war and jumped from one person to another as if they were becoming two per person. Simi’s mouth was wide open in wonder.
Even Dezzy looked at him with her mouth agape. ‘That’s Oranyan?’
‘Yes… That’s Oranmiyan…’ Simi glanced at Dezzy and wished she took her correction seriously.
‘I now understand it’, Dezzy said excitedly. ‘We’re here to see what I can do… With his power. But we’re not getting any clue here. So sad I have done something stupid. We wouldn’t have been looking for a clue’.
‘What’s that?’ Simi glanced at her absentmindedly and back at Oranyan.
Dezzy shook her head.
Simi nodded as she remained in admiration of the things Oranyan was doing. ‘What do we do?’ Simi asked.
‘What do we do?’ Dezzy stared at her in wonder. ‘Get us out of here!’
‘Who are those?’ Someone barked behind them.
Turning, they were surrounded by three heavy heaving men. The marks on their body accompanying the glistening bodies made Simi begin to lose balance.
‘Stay with me, Rhino’, Dezzy steadied Simi and rolled her batons in her hands. ‘We’re not here to disturb you.’
‘What kind of Yoruba is this one saying?’ One of the warriors said.
‘The Baribas accent is different and never as deep as this!’ The shorter one said.
The last one with the long neck glanced at them. ‘Their clothes. These are demons!’
‘You’re out of your mind!’ Dezzy grunted in Yoruba.
‘Ah! I’ve been shamed! Warriors, what are you waiting for?’
Immediately, the soldiers advanced. Dezzy sped towards them with her baton. Her movement was beyond anything Simi had seen, swift, hitting the men on the head, neck, and knees.
She weakened them in a few seconds. The first man had not fallen before she got to the last. Her speed made Simi quiver. While the men grunted, another set of voice began to draw nearer.
Someone from a different part of the forest shouted, ‘what’s happening there?’
At that instance, a large number of people came out from Simi behind Simi. Dezzy saw this first and pulled her away into the centre.
‘Let go home! Now!’ Dezzy ordered and grabbed Simi’s hand.
‘Home!’ Simi repeated, closed her eyes, and wished for their room where Kukoyi was making plans.
‘Welcome back!’ Kukoyi said.
Leaving Dezzy, Simi gasped repeatedly and panted as she laid on the floor, wondering what would have happened to them if they were attacked. Dezzy couldn’t possibly ward off those men. It was a good thing they didn’t wait to find out.

Chapter 8
After Kukoyi heard what happened, he sighed and sat down dejectedly. His glance at Simi announced the pain that embodied his heart.
‘Maybe you should…’ Kukoyi said.
‘I’m not going in alone…Nothing can change that?’ Simi said assuredly.
‘And… Wait, Eagle’, Dezzy said. ‘Why can’t we just send her somewhere she will get something meaningful for us. Not all these tidbit info…’
‘Let me think of everything… I’ll get back to you’, Kukoyi said after a while.
As they waited on Kukoyi for cues, Simi became bored. Dezzy returned to training and perfecting different fighting techniques, which she said she had been studying through YouTube videos, apps, and other movies.
Simi, on the other hand, just wanted peace. She wished that she hadn’t run away from the orphanage home. But she just couldn’t bring herself to stay anymore at the orphanage home. Everyone she grew with had either gotten a new home or no longer found her company-worthy. She was alone, despite the plethora of happy faces. The thought of this rocked her to sleep. After a long while, she woke and saw a little paper she made at the orphanage. It made her thought remain laced on the orphanage.
That was why she missed Ekele.
His smile, neatness, and genuine joy were what grabbed her attention the first time she saw him from their room. That Saturday, she, alongside every other orphan, was reading.
But her room, as Miss Johnson loved to call it, was a room for the rebels. Simi, tired of reading, stared out of the window since her bed was fortunately by the window. From her sitting position, she could see the backyard of the neighbouring compound.
Ekele was there, dancing enthusiastically to a song by Kizz Daniel. Oblivious of Simi’s stares and wonders, he was so focused on the music and dance steps. Simi sat up and glanced at the compound behind Ekele’s, which was a motel.
Many ladies and young girls moved within the motel’s compound during the day, washing clothes, plates, and so many other things. Their skimpy dresses always left little to the imagination, but Simi’s most troubled times were in the night when the bulb was dimmer. She would only see their shadows, moving, slowly at first, then with unknown aggression, repeatedly, briefly like the passing of the wind. After a while, some men would come out of the shadow into the full glare of the bulb. Then, one of the ladies or young girls would come out into the light, adjusting their clothes, staring at some sort of paper note under the dull reflection of the bulb.
Days after days, Ekele came back here to dance.
One day, after watching Ekele, she knew she had to talk to him. The orphans were rarely allowed out of the compound, except during annual excursions, and their fence was too high to let them see anyone outside. Their windows had darknets that made those outside the building have a hard time looking into the house.
So, Simi decided to write him a letter. Ensuring her roommates were playing outside when she was doing this, she got a sheet of paper and wrote,
Hi,
My name is Simisoluwa. I like the way you dance. I am a girl. I want to be your friend.
-Simi
Miss Johnson's time to send them all into the house for siesta was just around the corner. So, she rushed into the compound, sneakily picked a stone, and wrapped the letter around it. She pulled off one of her socks' threads; she tied the letter as furtively as she could around excited children running past her and then threw it into the next house.
Running at full speed into the house, she went straight to the window to see his reaction. By the time she got upstairs, Ekele was backing out from the wall, looking at the house, holding the wrapped letter.
He looked around for a while as he unwrapped the letter and eventually read it. With a big smile on his face, he waved at the available windows and danced again. He didn’t seem to know which of the windows she could be at. However, the knowledge that he was being watched made him take bolder and thrilling dance steps. After a while, he paused, ran off to the house, returned with a piece of paper and pen, and wrote sporadically on it.
When he was done wrapping it, he threw the letter into the orphanage. Simi dashed out of the room. No one must see the letter. Although they might not understand what it meant, she still didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. Simi, however, was met by a sea of the kids being guided into the house by Miss Johnson on their tail, with her stern look and bowlegs blazing behind them. Simi knew she had to get on her bed if she didn’t want to meet Mr Makinde, their patron, for not trying to obey her. That would mean punishment, a lot of advice, anger at herself, and lack of appetite.
As soon as Miss Johnson left, Simi scrambled out of bed and peered down the window to ensure the wrapped letter was safe. It was. Simi continually glanced from the letter to Ekele. Their nap took forever, that Simi was so sure she would burst into tears. The moment she got the chance, she sped down to grab the letter. It read:
‘Hello,
I’m Ekele, boss1. I’m in Jss 2. My uncle brought me from the village to learn trade. Where are you?’
She smiled.
Afterwards, they corresponded. Ekele began to send sweets and goodies alongside his letter. Then, their letters became lengthier and filled with promises of how they would visit places together. Ekele took his time to tell her about things happening outside. This made Simi excited about the world outside their home.
He told her how he dreamt of seeing her one day. She told him she was fat, but he replied that she hadn’t seen how fat his mother was. She told him she was shy, and he said he too used to be shy but still loved to see her.
They continued this practice till a day when the girls in the motel decided to burn clothes and papers. Ekele, who had been dancing excitedly, suddenly fell and began to gasp for his breathe on the floor. Simi chuckled. When his eyes bulged, she couldn’t control her laughter. Some of the other girls cautioned her, making her clamp her thick hand on her mouth.
Ekele crawled and aimed for the door as if he was dying. This wasn’t his first attempt at playing dead for her. However, she became scared when he didn’t stop. Ekele crashed back to the floor, becoming paler by the seconds. He tried to pull a blue drum for support. In a few seconds, he and the drum have fallen; the water in the drum was now soaking Ekele’s dress.
‘Help’, Simi yelled.
The girls in her room asked her to keep quiet. That fueled her shriek. Some of them got up to look at what she was seeing. At the same time, Miss Johnson entered, angry.
‘Why are you out of bed?’ Miss Johnson bellowed.
Tears drenched Simi’s face as she rushed to grab Miss Johnson and pulled her towards the window before she could utter a word. ‘He’s dying…’
‘Who?’ Miss Johnson wondered.
‘He’, Simi cried and pointed at the window.
Miss Johnson eyes shone in surprise. Like a horse with tail on fire, Miss Johnson sped out of the room. Simi dashed after her. Together, they ran into the compound. At the gate, however, Miss Johnson turned. ‘Stay here!’
Miss Johnson jammed the door behind her. Simi pulled at the door repeatedly until she knew she was sure nothing could come out of it. Tumbling up the stairs, mumbling and sniffing, hopeful and scared, Simi raced for the window. In a longer while, Miss Johnson and some other people were there to help Ekele. They rushed him out of the backyard, and there was nothing there anymore. Just the wet ground. And the rolling blue drum. The only thing she could do was stare at the smoke slowly overshadowing the backyard.
Miss Johnson never returned until late in the night, and Simi never left the window even when she was physically in several classes. Picking at her food, she was the first to return to the room when they got the chance. She was back in the room and was staring at an empty backyard. Without Ekele, the backyard looked just like the wall that separated them: bare. Miss Johnson entered the room, looked about, came towards her, and hugged her.
‘You did well today. You saved that boy’s life, Miss Johnson’s hug became tighter.
Tears welled in Simi’s eyes. The next few days, she expected him to be back. Mr Makinde, despite reminding the children to never look out of the window, told them how valiant Simi was. During class, he and some new people came for her. At first, she thought she was getting new parents, and she was ready to refuse their offer until she saw Ekele.
On the contrary, they were Ekele’s Uncle and Aunt. They came to tell her how much they appreciated her. They dropped enough money, which Mr Makinde promised to add to her money for University.
‘What of Ekele?’ She asked as they left.
His uncle looked at Simi for a while. ‘You know his name?’
She nodded.
‘We don’t know what will happen? He’s in a coma at the moment…’
Simi looked at him in wonder and glanced at Mr Makinde.
‘They mean he’s alive but like… sleeping…’
A bright smile formed on Simi’s mouth. ‘Does that mean he would be back soon?’
His uncle shook his head with sadness in his eyes. ‘We don’t know. The doctor said he might be there for a long time… Like a month’.
‘But he will be back?’ She asked sadly.
‘I don’t think so’, his aunt said. ‘He’s going to our brother in Abuja. They don’t want my ego to train him again. Our brother wants him to go to school’.
From that day, Simi looked at the empty backyard, and it held nothing again. Like before, it looked just like the wall in the middle of both houses. She sometimes rushed off to the window after class with the hope that something had changed, that he was back. But Ekele never came back.
The only thing she had of him was the wraps of his sweet and chocolate, which she had cut into shirts, trousers, blouse and skirts, all of which were now glued to a paper. Over the trousers and shirt, she had written ‘Husband’ and had written ‘Wife’ over the blouse and skirt. Then, below them, she had written Ekele and Simi, respectively. He didn’t know her face, and she was so sure he would never know her again.
Even as she laid there, she wondered what had become of him. He probably didn’t remember her anymore or didn’t love her as she did. There wasn’t a way she would know. She stared at the paper again.
Unless she visited his past. With that thought filling up her head, she rose and looked about.
‘What’s that?’ Kukoyi asked, rattled by the suddenness with which she jumped.
‘I have to find someone…’ Simi said with urgency and dashed for her bag of snacks. ‘In my past’.
‘Who?’ Kukoyi asked.
‘Ekele…’
‘The boy that you first saw?’ Kukoyi wondered.
‘Yes. You remember…’ Simi said.
‘You’re drunk?’ Dezzy wondered from where she was busying, training her knife-throwing skills.
‘You won’t understand’, Simi was already unwrapping one of the snacks in preparation for the place she would get to.
‘You’re going nowhere!’ Dezzy said.
‘Who will stop me…?’ Simi wondered.
As she placed the chocolate in her mouth to munch, she felt it was better to unwrap more. She unwrapped another as she closed her eyes and think of Ekele and where he might be.
‘I just need a trace of them…’ Someone was saying. His back was turned to her. Fierce-looking men surrounded him. Those facing Simi stared at her in wonder.
The person turned towards them and looked in wonder.
‘Ekele?’ She said in wonder.
‘That’s the one that disappears…’ Ekele shouted.
Luckily for her, she was reenergized by the chocolate in her mouth. She closed her eyes and willed their hiding location.
‘Oh! She’s back…’ Kukoyi said with relief.
‘I saw them. All of them?’ Simi said after calming her nerves that felt like millions of needles stabbed them.
Dezzy’s eyes shone with joy as she stopped herself from throwing the knife in her hand.
‘Who?’
‘The people that want us… They are many. Too many…’ Simi said and picked a sachet of chin chin, opened it, and dumped the content in her mouth.
‘How did you find them?’ Kukoyi asked.
‘Ekele…’ She muttered.
‘How?’ Dezzy glanced at Kukoyi for help. He grinned in ignorance.
‘I don’t know him. Oh! That was Ekele’, Simi said and nodded repeatedly. She was sure of it. That was his face. Nothing could tell her otherwise.

Chapter 9
Dezzy and Kukoyi tried to pry more information from her mouth, but she couldn’t give them more.
‘See! I just want to know we’re still safe here!’ Kukoyi said. ‘It took me a great deal of time to get this location. And we’re still trying to pinpoint all the places we will be going from here.
‘I’m sorry… I’m too surprised’, Simi said. She hated the way she felt like their baby sister. Even at her age, she looked huge and should be considered their agemates.
‘Unsuprise yourself and talk, Rhinny…’ Dezzy suggested.
Simi glanced at them. ‘I don’t know. I saw… Thought of the boy I first loved, Ekele. I told you about him already na. He was always dancing across…’
‘Cut to the chase…’ Kukoyi grunted.
Simi nodded. ‘So, I wanted to go the past to search for him…’
‘Ah!’ Dezzy yelped. ‘A boy! You risked your life for a boy…’.
She glanced at Dezzy and could see the visible anger. Even Kukoyi’s face showed how displeased he was. That moment took her back to the time in their orphanage home when they had to talk to Mr Mankinde. The same displeasing look on his face was what she could see on Kukoyi’s face, making her always wish her mother hadn’t dropped her in the first instance.
‘You don’t know how it feels…’ Simi yelled back at her. ‘Because all you do is to be high and mighty. Fighting like a machine. We’re all humans. We have things we cared about and those we care about. This gift wasn’t given to me to make money also…’
‘Yeah!’ Dezzy replied and hissed. ‘It was given you to chase down your teenage crushes and find love in…’
Simi clapped angrily. ‘Please, are you not also a teenager…? Only Kukoyi can call us teenagers. You’re just what? 18-19’.
Dezzy raised her head and made a mockery of Simi. ‘Yen! Yen! Yen! Can you hear yourself?’
‘I’m saying the truth...’
‘Even if I were ten years old, I wouldn’t have been this foolish…’ Dezzy shouted, snorted, and threw her knife into the board she had placed near the entrance. The knife sank as if it was punched in by someone near the board, rattling a little before finally staying put.
Swallowing hard, Simi turned to Kukoyi. ‘Can you hear her calling me foolish?’
‘Don’t back me into the corner here!’ Kukoyi shouted her down. ‘You have to face the music. This was a foolish act. How many times do I need to tell you these guys led by one foolish scientist guy have a way of finding us…?’
Tears welled in Simi’s eyes as she watched them. They didn’t know a bit of what was happening to her.
‘Do you think I don’t have who I also love?’ Dezzy’s hoarse voice almost made Simi’s anger dissipated, but she wouldn’t give in to emotional blackmail.
‘Yian!’ Simi rolled her eyes and went to fill her snacks bag. This was a recipe for her to become fatter. She wished her phone and earpieces were there to help her drown the sound of their voices.
‘I have a child…’ Dezzy said, almost in a whisper.
Simi’s paused, and, at last, the drop of tears fell from her eyes.
‘My baby needs to see me, but here I am, running for my life. When they first chased me down, my baby would have been dead by now if it weren't for my ability. They killed my husband, and I only escaped through a tunnel I started building when the power came. I wished all these things could stop…’
‘You have… had a husband?’ Kukoyi asked.
Dezzy nodded.
‘At your age?’
‘Yes… Early… The baby made us marry early’. Dezzy replied.
That did it for Simi, who burst into tears and turned to them. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I really miss him. I miss everything. I want to go home. I’m tired. What did I do for them? And the person they are using to search for us is Ekele… Of all the people in the world… Ekele’.
Everyone remained in their position. They left Simi to wallow in her tears, wishing she hadn’t made that foolish decision. She saw Ekele, who was more handsome than before. This time, his hairs were full and neatly shaped. If she saw him somewhere other than where she saw him, she would have revered him for life.
Gently sliding down beside Simi, Dezzy grunted. Then, she placed a hand on Simi’s folded leg.
‘So, this boy…’ Dezzy said, and her voice trailed off.
‘Ekele’, Simi added as she searched for the paper she made in her pocket.
‘You saw him?’
Simi nodded. ‘Yes, I thought of him, and I was behind him. All these men ready to kill in front of him…’
‘Did he recognize you…?’
Simi sighed and shook her head. ‘I’m not sure. He didn’t know my face before…’
‘He didn’t…’ Kukoyi started saying, but Dezzy raised her hands, making him stop.
‘He might not be the one!’ Dezzy patted her legs.
‘I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. Why was I born? To be chased and killed? Was I created to die? Why did my mum get pregnant if she knew she would dump me in front of an orphanage home?’
‘Well, I can tell you were born to…’ Dezzy paused, making Simi turn to her with rapt attention. Simi searched her eyes for the answer that was about to be revealed. Dezzy shrugged. ‘It’s for you to…You were born to take us to the mountain’.
Simi frowned.
‘Remember when you took us to that err… mountain…’ Dezzy said with a big smile.
Simi chuckled.
‘Yes! You’re yet to master your power…The person you saw might not be Ekele’, Dezzy assured her.
At the same time, Kukoyi left where he was plotting his plan to join them. Simi looked up and resigned to the berating that would follow. He was still visibly angry.
‘I like this place… I really do. I’m not sure anyone will find it in a long while. Kukoyi stood in front of her with his hands akimbo. ‘Did you figure out the time of day they saw you?’
‘I don’t get you’, Simi said.
‘I mean, when was the time? Today, last year, yesterday…’ Kukoyi wondered.
‘I really don’t know…’
‘What do you remember?’
‘They were holding guns. I couldn’t possibly look for time’ Simi was becoming angrier by the seconds.
‘Let her be…’ Dezzy glanced at Kukoyi and rose.
‘Everyone should get ready to move….’Kukoyi advised as he began to arrange his clothes into his bag.
‘As always’. Dezzy was flexing her muscle again as she poised herself to throw another knife.

Chapter 10
Simi didn’t really have much to pack. So, she got her clothes ready, folding them as small as she could.
If I have allowed those ones to capture me, they would have treated me well, Simi thought.
Filling her backpack, repeatedly testing the weight, and jumping to ascertain that it would hinder her, Simi was sure ready.
They slacked two days later when nothing happened. Dezzy now took it upon herself to train each of them for battle.
For Kukoyi, she would hide things without his knowledge and time him as he searched for the items. Seeing that he was becoming better, she would mix up ten things together to confuse him, limiting his search to the same time as the first training. It worked the first few times but, after a while, Kukoyi was beating her to everything. Sometimes, though, Simi would see Kukoyi go behind the house and return later, looking pale, moving his head sideways.
‘In a few days, we would have mapped a plan’, Kukoyi assured them. ‘I will have gotten enough extra locations as hideouts’.
Kukoyi had been studying the histories of Oranyan, wondering where he could have possibly made plans on where these things would be. Yet, he was getting nowhere.
Dezzy’s training was simple at first. She made Simi open different snacks and eat as fast as she could. With Dezzy’s voice bellowing at her to beat time and breathing down her neck, Simi always found herself sweating at the top of her head and wiping tears off her face. Before, she would have easily swallowed a bar of chocolate, but per time, Dezzy reduced the time., making her tired.
Alongside individual training, she ensured they were physically fit.
‘I said jumping jack… I didn’t expect to see some jumping jerks’, Dezzy shouted and clapped as Simi and Kukoyi reduced their pace.
One day, Dezzy came jogging from the forest and stopped near Simi just as Kukoyi was leaving the field to finish the mapping. Dezzy watched him go, brought out a wristwatch, and gave it to Simi. ‘I don’t know how much this will do, but it has date and time’.
‘Where did you get this’ Simi asked but was glad to have a wristwatch.
Dezzy crouched near her. ‘I don’t want Kukoyi to know, but Lambe gave me before he left that I should give it to you any time we find you, I should give you'.
‘Oh! I’m liking the man already’, Simi said.
‘I don’t know. He has good sides to him too…’ Dezzy said and smiled while her eyes remained focused on a sprouting flower. ‘He said he had enchanted the clock or something. So, now you can easily tell time.
‘You seem to like him’, Simi smiled at her.
‘Me? Lambe? Never! Now, get back to t…’ Dezzy looked at Simi all over and rose. ‘Do whatever you were doing.
She stretched her body. Before her arrival, Simi had been watching the empty field, wishing for many things, but most of all, a chance to get back to the orphanage home. Simi swallowed hard at the thought of getting a gift from them, from Dezzy. She blinked back tears and looked up. ‘Thanks’.
‘You can easily track the date and time with this, even if you go back to 0001’, Dezzy replied.
‘I’ve never tried this before. It might not work…’
‘How would we know if we don’t give it a tryDezzy said. ‘Moreover, I trust that drunk of a man. Remember, we don’t want Kukoyi to know where it is from. Just tell him I gave you.
Nodding, Simi strapped the watch around her wrist.
‘That, Rhinny’, Dezzy said and placed her hands on Simi’s shoulder. ‘Is a new part of your weapon’.
The thought of the weapon scared Simi. So, she shook her head. ‘Uniform… It’s a part of my uniform’.
‘Whatever you say, Rhinny’, Dezzy walked away with a gait that Simi instantly craved. ‘I’m to get back to my training with Eagle’.
Simi nodded again and stared at the wristwatch. This was the best gift she had ever received from a stranger. She looked up and shouted, ‘thank you.
Dezzy waved dismissively and dragged Kukoyi to training. Per time, her training with them became intensive. Although, sometimes, Simi felt Dezzy didn’t know half of what she wanted from them, if she didn’t, she never showed it, always throwing commands and instructions at them, urging them to be swifter and better.
‘Argh!’ Kukoyi yelled one day and swept off everything was on the window. The books there flipped and tore off. Pens rattled.
Immediately, Dezzy dashed for the papers.
‘Useful?’ She asked Kukoyi.
He shook his head. ‘But wait!’ He snapped the paper. ‘Alright, you can burn it.
Dezzy had made it a point of duty to burn every piece of paper Kukoyi used, which she believed could be used to trace them and detect their plan.
‘You might need to intensify…Have your training in one of the travels. We need info’, Kukoyi was now sitting at the edge of the doorway, a big frown plastered on his face.
‘Why?’
‘We might need to go into the enemy’s territory! Like the source of the problem itself’, Kukoyi stated. ‘We have to redirect our search…’
‘You’re sending her to her death…’ Dezzy said. ‘I’m not letting her go alone…’
‘I didn’t know you care!’ Kukoyi snapped.
‘I want to know where all these will end… And have my share…’ Dezzy said as she got ready. ‘So, I care!’
‘I don’t want to sit here being worried sick about anybody anymore. You’re not my family.’ Kukoyi paused while Dezzy plugged more knives into her leather clothes. ‘Let’s end this debacle, and I can get back to the state’.
‘I’ll be fine…’ Simi said, not sure she heard herself right.
Dezzy nodded. ‘Because I’ll be with you, and I’ve trained you well.’
‘Yeah! Simi would take your firm hand’, Kukoyi snarled. ‘The plan is simple. Get in, find anything you can from them, keep your head down and get back…’
Dezzy came nearer. ‘We’ll be back…’
Simi looked at them, feeling like their babies again. ‘I thought we want to train on my eating skills…’
‘Yeah! Consider this your training. You’re doing it on the go.
Simi sighed, with her heart racing, her mind still focused on her last encounter. ‘I’m ready.
She closed her eyes and thought of why the people chasing them started.
‘Where are we now?’ Dezzy asked.
She opened her eyes to see that they were in a forest and could see two people sneaking into the waters. Behind them was a vast house fenced as if nothing will ever see the internal part. Unable to describe what was wrong with her, she began to munch her sausage roll.
‘Time?’ Dezzy asked.
‘Wow! It worked’, Simi whispered hurriedly, excitedly. ‘It’s the year… This thing is wrong’.
‘What’s it saying?’ Dezzy asked.
‘2337 and 05 and 06’, Simi said, confused.
‘Let me see…’ Dezzy dragged her hands and stared at the wristwatch. Simi’s repeatedly glanced at Dezzy. ‘Wow! This looks real. You brought us to the future…’
‘No…’ Simi pulled her hand away and stared, ‘Let’s go!’
‘Let’s go’, Dezzy said after watching her swallow. ‘Can we?’
Simi nodded.
‘Now, think of something that can help us get the information we need’, Dezzy ordered.
Simi repeatedly blinked as she closed her eyes.
‘I don’t know what this means now!’ Dezzy growled.
They were behind trees. Just some feet away, they could see a teenage boy blowing flute with such skill that beat those of anyone Simi had ever encountered. Even Dezzy’s eyes glowered in admiration. A teenage fighter could be seen practising with a stick as if she was a machine implanted with the skills to fight.
‘Year?’ Dezzy asked.
‘I don’t understand again’, Simi said and looked away.
‘What now?’ Dezzy said, not pulling her eyes away from the teenagers.
‘It’s 1427, 16, and 7’, Simi said.
‘Ah!’ Dezzy said. ‘No… No. Have you eaten?’
‘Not yet?’ Simi looked away at the realization of that.
‘Please… You’re wasting all these things’, Dezzy growled.
While Simi waited for the electric feeling to dissipate, Dezzy stared at the teenagers with rapt attention.
‘I’m ready’, Simi said.
‘We have to leave now?’ Dezzy hissed. ‘I was enjoying that girl’.
‘Maybe we should wait a bit, Simi suggested.
Dezzy shook her head. ‘To the place we’re going. And think hard on the fact that these people want to catch us, and we want to find out our history or something’.
‘By the way, I moved from one time to another, Simi giggled.
‘My friend, close your eyes’, Dezzy urged. Simi heeded her, and after a while, Dezzy nudged her. ‘We’re here.
When she opened her eyes, they were crouched behind a seat in a large sitting room, with two people talking- a rich slim woman and a man dressed in agbada.

This is an interesting piece Divepen1, been a long while I read any of your stories. Keep up the good work.

Missmossy:
This is an interesting piece Divepen1, been a long while I read any of your stories. Keep up the good work.

Yeah... I just had to do this for the fun of it again.


Thanks for following and staying ooo

Thanks for d update...